Parties and Propriety
by imaddicted
Summary: Lotus is not so enthusiastic about college. That is, she isn't until she meets Aaron. Aaron changes Lotus' perspective on college life, throwing her into a life of parties and fun. But it isn't it all fun and games until someoone gets hurt?


**Moving Day**

I walked into what I was going to have to call "home" for the next few months and sighed heavily. Dorm life was going to be a blast…not. I glared at the grim, pasty walls, arms crossed, toes tapping. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, uncrossed my arms, sighed again, and opened my eyes. Nope, still not any better.

I looked down at my multitude of baggage and "dorm accessories." Why did you need to have so much crap to make the room livable? Why couldn't they just supply the lamps and CD players, computers and comfy chairs? Oh yeah, this is _college_, not the country club. I picked up my bag of clothes and threw it on one of the lofts in the second bedroom and turned to glare at the walls again. After a few minutes of decorating in my head, I finally gave up.

"It's a whole new start," I reminded myself aloud, rolling my eyes and heading out the door to get the rest of my "personal belongings" from the car. As I was in a mad rush to just get it over with, I didn't notice the body getting closer as I trudged down the narrow hallway. I looked up just in time to run right into it, or should I say, him and land on my butt.

"Where's the fire? You practically bulldozed me over." He reached a hand down to me, which I took gratefully.

"I was headed to get the rest of my things from the car downstairs," I said, brushing myself off. I could feel his eyes on my face and I stopped abruptly, looking up. He had dark brown eyes and black hair. He was tall, but not too tall; just the right height for a guy to be to give good hugs and look good with a girl, no matter how skanky, hanging off his arm. He had an eyebrow raised and a skeptical look on his face. I could almost hear my previously cynical attitude whoosh from my brain; _that_ and I could feel my mouth dropping open. Before I could compose myself, he stuck out his hand.

"I'm Aaron Seeter, hospitality major," he said, eyebrow still raised, with a now amused expression on his face. I took his hand, and felt the blood creep hastily into my cheeks. Way to go Circe. What a perfectly blown first impression.

"Uhh…hi. I'm Lotus, um…Circe Lotus, sorry. I go by my last name, because no one can pronounce my first name by reading it. It's C-I-R-C-E and…I'm sorry. Babbling…again. Music Major." I felt like an idiot, waving my hand around and messing up a perfectly good introduction with word vomit. Way to make an impression.

"Okay, Lotus. Well, I'm down the next hall, but I'm coming to find my sister, Anna. You didn't run her over too, did you?" Now he was mocking me. I crossed my arms and gave him my best death stare.

"No, sorry. Look, I have to get my stuff and you're kind of in my way," I said, pointing to the lack of space to pass in the slim hall. He stood aside and let me pass. I shuffled past him, bringing my hand to my newly throbbing forehead. I grabbed the elevator before the door closed, and as I turned to push the down button, I saw Aaron shaking with laughter as he walked down the hall. I fumed and crossed my arms again, impatiently tapping my toes. Could this elevator go any slower? I could feel my head pulsing, making me irritable.

"This has to be the longest day in the history of college move in," I mumbled to myself as the doors opened on the next floor down revealing a short girl with what looked like an empty trash bin.

"Tell me about it," she said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. I looked at her. She was cute, in a roundabout sort of way. Her chestnut bangs fell into her eyes, shadowing her fair skin. She had a spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and blue eyes. The rest of her hair was trapped up in a short, messy ponytail. Damn, she looked like I felt.

"Came with your parents?" I asked.

"Yeah, you too?"

"Uh huh." She threw her hands up as the elevator stopped again and a family of five climbed into the cramped space. The little box was quest, except for the hum of the cables moving the seven people down to the first floor. The family got out, with the girl and me trailing a few feet behind them. We headed for the front doors, dragging the bin along with us.

"I'm Emily, by the way," the girl said, holding the door as I pulled the big blue bin through it.

"Lotus," I said, holding out my hand. She took it briefly and let go. "Lotus? That's an interesting name," she said, a curious expression crossing her face, making the freckles wrinkle in funny places.

"It's my last name, actually. My first name is Circe, but people can't pronounce it right when they read it printed. It's just easier for people to remember," I said, shrugging.

"Huh. Well, I had better get this back to the 'family van,'" she rolled her eyes. I laughed. "I get that. Maybe I'll see you later at the dorm party? We can complain some more about how long this day is." She smiled, then grimaced as she heard her mother screech her name a few cars away. "Definitely," she said, and waved goodbye.

I turned to walk off to my "family van," but I seemed to have a knack for walking into people. I had turned right into this kid, and he was carrying a lot of boxes. As I helped him gather the boxes I knocked over, I noticed he was wearing a similar shirt to one I had seen earlier. I glanced up to see his face, and I was completely at a loss for words. It was Aaron…again. I felt the blood creep into my face again, as he stood up with some of the boxes.

"You really need to watch where you're going, Lotus. You're going to end up walking into a pole or something," he said with a humorous tone. I saw that he had a mocking grin on his face, and for some reason that irritated me, which was really easy considering my headache was growing.

I quickly thought of something witty and smart to say. "Well, you should learn to get out of the way when people are walking." Oops. That wasn't what I was going to say.

"Come up with that all on your own?" He smirked.

"It sounded better in my head, which feels like it's going to spontaneously combust soon, so I suggest you let me get by you to get to my car." He turned, grabbed another box and stepped out of the way with a hand motioning for me to walk. "Right this way, your highness," he said, and I marched past him with my nose in the air, "accidentally" knocking over one of his smaller boxes. I kept telling myself not to look back, but I did and he was watching me go with, yet again, an amused expression. God, he really got under my skin.

**Cretin**

I stood, yet again, in my doorway, surveying the livability of my dorm room. My roommate had thrown her sheets on her loft messily and her clothes lay scattered across the floor, in chaotic disarray. I would have to have a few words with her about that.

I began to unpack my things from my duffel into one of the dressers, carefully refolding my shirts and pants, while laying things on my bunk to hang in the closet. I had almost finished when my roommate slammed the door open and burst into her own version of "Respect" by Aretha Franklin. I just looked at her, wondering where the hell she came from, because obviously it wasn't earth.

"Hey!" she shouted, finally noticing me, as she pulled her ear buds out. No wonder she was singing so loudly. "I'm Haylee Boxt," she said, holding out her hand. I shook it having finished hanging my sweaters.

"I'm Circe Lotus, but everyone calls me Lotus. So, do you always burst into song when you enter a room, or is this a new hobby?" I said, chuckling. She blushed. "No, I just really like that song and I didn't know you were in here, to be honest. You're so tidy, I didn't even notice your stuff," she said, motioning to my carefully made bed and neatly pressed clothing hanging in the closet.

"Sorry. I'm a little OCD when it comes to my stuff being where I can find it when I need it. It's really nothing personal, but would you mind picking up your stuff. Its kind of everywhere," I said, pointing to a shirt that magically landed on the top of the door.

"No problem," she said, reaching to grab the shirt, throwing it into a drawer. "So, meet any hot guys yet?" she asked. I rolled my eyes and laughed, but then I stopped when I realized she was serious.

"Well, I did meet this one guy. He's cute, and I've run into him a few times." Literally, I added to myself. Haylee's eyebrows perked up. She was a pretty girl. She had chestnut curls and fair skin. Her eyes were a fascinating blue color that made her look like she had ice for eyeballs. And to top it all off, she had really full lips and picture-perfect teeth. I swear she could have been a model in another life…or even in this one.

"Really? Well, what's his name?" She asked, plopping down on a bean bag, like an eager kindergartener waiting for a story. I just had to laugh at her posture: legs crossed Indian-style with her elbows propping up her head. She didn't look comfortable at all.

"Yes, really, and it's Aaron. I think he said his sister lives in this hall and he lives in the next wing." Wow, did I really just reveal that I actually remembered where the cretin lives?


End file.
